Kevin McCarthy became the speaker of the US House of Representatives after securing fifteen rounds of voting. With a talent for cutting deals and a proven track record, Kevin McCarthy has been a major fundraiser for the Republican party. Not a policy strategist or a conservative ideologue, Kevin McCarthy carved a place for himself in the party slowly but surely.
Here are 10 points on US' new house speaker Kevin McCarthy:
1. Kevin McCarthy's rise in the Republican party is based on his willingness to take risks especially at a time when the party has changed internally following former US president Donald Trump's term.
2. Kevin McCarthy's career soared since he became the minority Republican leader in the California Assembly in 2003.
3. He was elected just one year before that.
4. Four years later, Kevin McCarthy was elected to Washington and since then he has moved rapidly in the party.
5. Kevin McCarthy had to endure 15 rounds of voting, a first in the US Capitol since 1859 as he was attacked on his fundraising, ties and conservative ideals.
6. Kevin McCarthy represents the conservative enclave of Bakersfield, California, and has been in politics since his late teens.
{{/usCountry}}6. Kevin McCarthy represents the conservative enclave of Bakersfield, California, and has been in politics since his late teens.
{{/usCountry}}7. Son of a firefighter and grandson of a cattle rancher, Kevin McCarthy is married to his high school sweetheart and has two children.
8. He became a Republican activist while at California State University in Bakersfield.
9. Kevin McCarthy led the Republican caucus in the lower house from 2014, and in 2015 made his first bid for the speaker position.
10. Although, he has never chaired a House committee.